1998 United States House of Representatives elections

The 1998 United States House of Representatives elections were held on November 3, 1998, to elect U.S. Representatives to serve in the 106th United States Congress. They were part of the midterm elections held during President Bill Clinton's second term. They were a major disappointment for the Republicans, who were expecting to gain seats due to the embarrassment Clinton suffered during the Monica Lewinsky scandal and the "six-year itch" effect observed in most second-term midterm elections. However, the Republicans lost five seats to the Democrats, although they retained a narrow majority in the House. A wave of Republican discontent with Speaker Newt Gingrich prompted him to resign shortly after the election; he was replaced by Congressman Dennis Hastert of Illinois.

The campaign was marked by Republican attacks on the morality of President Bill Clinton, with Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr having released his report on the Lewinsky scandal and House leaders having initiated an inquiry into whether impeachable offenses had occurred. However, exit polls indicated that most voters opposed impeaching Clinton, and predictions of high Republican or low Democratic turnout due to the scandal failed to materialize. Some speculate that the losses reflected a backlash against the Republicans for attacking the popular Clinton. With the Republicans having lost four House seats and failing to gain any seats in the Senate, it was the first time since 1934 that the non-presidential party failed to gain congressional seats in a midterm election; this would happen again in 2002. This is the most recent election where no Incumbents who served at least 6 terms (12 years) lost re-nomination or re-election.

Overall results


Source: Election Statistics - Office of the Clerk

Democrats

 * 1) California's 3rd congressional district: Vic Fazio
 * 2) California's 34th congressional district: Esteban Torres
 * 3) California's 36th congressional district: Jane Harman: To run for Governor
 * 4) Colorado's 2nd congressional district: David Skaggs
 * 5) Connecticut's 1st congressional district: Barbara B. Kennelly: To run for Governor
 * 6) Illinois's 9th congressional district: Sidney R. Yates
 * 7) Illinois's 19th congressional district: Glenn Poshard: To run for Governor
 * 8) Indiana's 9th congressional district: Lee Hamilton
 * 9) Kentucky's 6th congressional district: Scotty Baesler: To run for U.S. Senate
 * 10) Massachusetts's 8th congressional district: Joseph P. Kennedy II
 * 11) New York's 7th congressional district: Thomas Manton
 * 12) New York's 9th congressional district: Chuck Schumer: To run for U.S. Senate
 * 13) North Carolina's 8th congressional district: Bill Hefner
 * 14) Ohio's 11th congressional district: Louis Stokes
 * 15) Oregon's 1st congressional district: Elizabeth Furse
 * 16) Pennsylvania's 15th congressional district: Paul McHale
 * 17) Texas's 20th congressional district: Henry B. González

Republicans

 * 1) California's 1st congressional district: Frank Riggs: To run for U.S. Senate
 * 2) Colorado's 6th congressional district: Daniel Schaefer
 * 3) Idaho's 2nd congressional district: Mike Crapo: To run for U.S. Senate
 * 4) Illinois's 13th congressional district: Harris Fawell
 * 5) Kentucky's 4th congressional district: Jim Bunning: To run for U.S. Senate
 * 6) MS's 4th congressional district: Michael Parker: To run for Governor
 * 7) Nebraska's 2nd congressional district: Jon Christensen: To run for Governor
 * 8) Nevada's 1st congressional district: John Ensign: To run for U.S. Senate
 * 9) New York's 22nd congressional district: Gerald Solomon
 * 10) New York's 27th congressional district: Bill Paxon
 * 11) Oregon's 2nd congressional district: Bob Smith
 * 12) Pennsylvania's 10th congressional district: Joseph M. McDade
 * 13) South Carolina's 4th congressional district: Bob Inglis: To run for U.S. Senate
 * 14) Washington's 3rd congressional district: Linda Smith: To run for U.S. Senate
 * 15) Wisconsin's 1st congressional district: Mark Neumann: To run for U.S. Senate
 * 16) Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district: Scott Klug

Republicans who lost to a Republican challenger

 * 1) California's 41st congressional district: Jay Kim lost to Gary Miller who later won the general election

Democrats who lost to a Republican challenger

 * 1) Wisconsin's 8th congressional district: Jay Johnson lost to Mark Green

Republicans who lost to a Democratic challenger

 * 1) Kansas's 3rd congressional district: Vince Snowbarger lost to Dennis Moore
 * 2) New Jersey's 12th congressional district: Mike Pappas lost to Rush Holt Jr.
 * 3) New Mexico's 3rd congressional district: Bill Redmond lost to Tom Udall
 * 4) Pennsylvania's 13th congressional district: Jon D. Fox lost to Joe Hoeffel
 * 5) Washington's 1st congressional district: Rick White lost to Jay Inslee